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How would you explain the outbreak of witch persecution in New England towards the end of the 17th Century?
Member rating: No Rating | Words: 1800 | Submitted: Thu Jul 26 2007
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How would you explain the outbreak of witch persecution in New England towards the end of the 17th century? Witch persecution was not new to New England in the late 17th century but it had never been so popular in earlier years. There were several factors that contributed to the sudden surge in accusations of witchcraft at this time; these were made up of a combination of social changes, economic conditions and more importantly, the timing in which they all happened. The most prominent example of witch persecution happened in the village of Salem, New England in 1692 when three young girls became sick and delusional. As the doctor, William Griggs, found no cure for these complaints he suggested that the problems might be of supernatural derivation, sparking the witch-hunt. A recently published book by Cotton Mathers named 'Memorable Providences', which talked of the supposed witchcraft of an Irishwoman, had described the symptoms...
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